My idea of the week is an easy way to make millions of people worldwide happy, while letting them move wherever they wanted.
I propose an international work visa exchange center. People with either similar qualifications (teachers, doctors, etc) or people above a certain threshold of intelligence and employability (honors university degrees, etc) should be able to voluntarily give up their local permit for a period of 1-5 years, in exchange for a similar permit in the EU or another nation of their choosing.
I figure this--I'd love to move out of the US, and I'm sure other countries would rather have someone intelligent and educated come in then some refugee from whocaresastan with no skills other than grave digging.
At the end of the period, assuming no criminal record and satisfactory job performance, they can either apply for permanent papers, citizenship, go back to their country, or try another exchange.
Quick, easy, convenient, and it lets intelligent people find work. There's no reason why someone living in England with a masters should have to wait three years for a permit while they were engaged to be married. One quick swap, UK for US, and they'd be set.
Too simple to ever work?-- adamosity, Aug 15 2004 Simple is good. The question is is it baked or not? Croissants for you!-- Around TUIT, Aug 15 2004 we're funny. you're welcome if you're a refugee from a third world dictatorship. however, if you have an ivy league law degree, we don't want you!
makes a lot of sense, eh?
*looks at your green card* and changes it from 05 to 15. there. that should do it. :)-- adamosity, Aug 18 2004 gets my vote (+). nice.-- neilp, Aug 18 2004 wait. *gets out the cardchanger*
2115 it is. I hope I'm alive to see it :)-- adamosity, Aug 18 2004 you're more patriotic than i am, and i used to teach american history/government. *laughs*
i'm just disgruntled and frustrated with the way we're going, particularly since 2000.-- adamosity, Aug 18 2004 I'm sure you know a good bit more about american government and history then at least 95% of my old students, especially given a law background.
(and you owe me email, young lady! :-)-- adamosity, Aug 18 2004 I understand the advantages of the employable being able to swap countries for a while to enhance their life-experiences, but something about the way this idea has been expressed makes me feel very uncomfortable. I'm not sure if its the elitism in the way that it is restricted to the well-qualified intelligent minority, or the casually-unsympathetic attitude to refugees (whatever happened to "bring me your tired and homeless" or whatever it was?).
It sounds like you want to make the permit process quicker and simpler, however by introducing the intelligence requirement you will surely need a method of assessment? Even if you want to use existing qualifications then you have to worry about how to assess the equivalence between the myriad qualifications available around the world (past and present) and you risk excluding the intelligent but unqualified. On balance I think fishy.-- dobtabulous, Aug 19 2004 Oh dear. A few questions. 1. You reckon that honors degree holders are eminently employable? 2. You think intelligence and education automatically make someone a model citizen? 3. You assume that intelligence and education always go hand in hand? 4. You assume all refugees are ill-educated and unskilled? 5.You'd rather further improve the lives of the already privileged than help the poor sods who really need it? 6. You think intelligent people have a greater right to work than less intelligent people? 7. You think people who hold degrees should have more personal freedom than those who do not?
Sheesh.-- squeak, Aug 19 2004 I'm not as elitist as this may have sounded.
My way of thinking was along this: let's handle the obviously qualified first, as they're the easiest.
That being said, I think immigration should be open provided that you a) are able to support yourself in the new country, and b) not have a criminal past.
In other words, as long as you aren't a burden to your new country, you should be able to move there.
Thanks for the defense! :-)-- adamosity, Aug 19 2004 That's fair enough. I conveniently forgot about the idea that governments of bad countries invent criminal records.
I'm too idealistic to admit that's happening :)-- adamosity, Aug 20 2004 random, halfbakery